All-American story: 2 friends, vintage racers

Howard Genrich and Frank Harris, best friends for decades, enjoy racing their ’22 Fords against one another. (Frank Harris)

Perhaps the only thing more all-American than a couple of fantastic Ford race cars in red and blue, is the wonderful story of the friendship between the two men that own them.

Howard Genrich and Frank Harris have been best friends for almost as long as they have been obsessed with cars and racing. For 35 years the two have lived just blocks away from each other in Long Beach, Calif. Over the decades, their lives have shared many similarities.

Now in their 80s, both men went to universities in the 1950s before becoming school teachers, and both married fellow school teachers, with whom they each had three sons. Why should the similarities stop there? Both men, naturally, also have 1922 Ford racers. “Humble Howard” Genrich is a scientist, and “Fast Frank” Harris is a tech writer, illustrator and machinist.

Constantly engaging in a friendly competition and trying to outdo the other, the men have enjoyed racing their ’22s against one another many times over the years. “The fun of this hobby is to improve the ratio of horsepower per cubic inch,” Harris said, “and go and fool other folks with a sleeper Model T.” While Genrich’s Ford has won more races, Harris has enjoyed at least one victory, as well. Harris cautions me, though, to not ask them who has the best car. “If you do,” he said, “you’d better be prepared to pack a lunch and bring a drink.”

Harris and his wife, Mary, have long been car lovers and have owned a variety of cars over the years, including several Model Ts, a 1912 Buick 36 roadster, a 1939 Frazer Nash BMW 328-9, a 1966 4.2 Jaguar convertible, a 1913 Cadillac Model 30-40 Touring Car, and several Fiat Spyders and Porsches.

I was introduced to their story by Harris’ nephew, my friend Sam Ayres, who recalls taking rides in his uncle’s racer, as well as in their 1906 Moline two-cylinder Model G touring car.

“It took 22 years to restore the 1906 Moline,” Harris said, but he let it go to “get into Model T speedsters” so he and his wife could have “bugs in our teeth!” With no windshield, the couple happily wears goggles when out in the Ford and feeling the wind — and the bugs — in their hair.

Harris’ No. 22 Ford speedster started out as a Model T Ford of “unknown body style.” It was rebuilt by Ed Bebeck more than 20 years ago as a very lightweight Speedster, for the sole purpose of beating Genrich’s Lucky No. 7 in a drag race at a race course in Southern California. Among the many changes they made to the original Model T to make it theirs, the Harrises decided to paint it insignia blue, in honor of the United States Air Force.

In telling me the story of the two men, the two cars, and the two families joined by friendship and fast driving, Harris proudly said that “Many friends and technicians have contributed to these efforts and the whole package is a true piece of history that needed to be recorded.”